Wing brace arrangement for railroad spreaders



Oct. 11, 1932. J. c. FORBES ET AL WING BRACE' ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILROAD SPREADERS Filed April 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inflenififs 774M E56 7 6/2555 12TH fiNT N 7 Oct 1931 I J.'c. FORBES .ET AL ,13

WING BRAGE ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILROAD SPREADERS Filed Apr'i1 6,. 9 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiMEsC-ERB/as LEERT 72 fiHNTON 5,-nmrEo "Saa Patented Oct. 11, 1932 ATE .4 v E JAMES C. FORBES AND ALBERT W. BANTON, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR-S TO 0. r. JonnAN INDIANA COMPANY, 01* EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or WING BRACE ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILROAD SPREADERS Application filed April 6, 1931. Serial No. 527,873.

This invention relates to improvements in wing brace arrangement for railroad spreaders and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In those type of railroad spreaders which include a main spreader wing pivoted for a swinging movement away from and toward the car, into and out of the desired operative position, telescopic braces are employed for holding the wingin the desired angular position. The greatest angular position into which the wing is swung is determined by the length of braces employed and in turn, the length of such braces are limited by other portions such as appliances or the like. on the car body and which cannot be removed or changed. With the effective length of the braces thus reduced, it is apparent that the wing cannot be swung into that angular position giving it the greatest spread.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a novel arrangement for the brace whereby the effective length or the brace can be increased to provide greater angularity and operating spread for the wing, without interfering with those appliances recognized as standard upon railway cars and without increasing the overall length of the brace itself in its normal contracted condition as when the wing has been swung in toward the car body.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of this kind which is simple in construction because of the few parts embodied therein, along with the ease of assembling them and which arrangement is strong and rigid and operates efficiently for its intended purpose "in providing that extra length in the brace so desired without resorting to increasingthe lengths of the brace parts themselves.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as wellas others, together with the many advantages thereof will more fully appear as we proceed with our specification.

In the drawings j Fig. 1 is a view in top plan elevation of the rear right hand corner of a railroad spreader embodying our improved wing brace arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a detail view in side elevation on an enlarged scale of the improved brace arrangement as when the same is folded in toward the car as is best shown in dotted lines in Fig.1. y Y

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical sectional view through a. part of a railroad spreader embodying our invention as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, of a certain ex tension link forming a part of our invention.

ment of the invention illustrated in the draw ings 1 indicates as a whole a part of the car of a railroad spreader including side sills 2, center sills 3 and cross members 1, 5, 6 and 7 respectively. Associated with the cross member 1 at one side of the car is an upright wing post 8 upon which a wing post carriage 9 is mounted for a vertical guided movement. This carriage includes laterally extending ears 10 to which a'hinge plate 11 is pivoted for a swinging movement about a vertically disposed pin 12.

13 indicates the main spreader wing of the car having its inner or front end pivoted to the hinge plate ll by a horizontal pin 14. The outer or rear end of the main spreader wing has pivoted thereto, an extension or bank shaper wing 15, in the manner well Referring now in detail to that e1nbodi-.

the caris being transported from one place of use to another, we provide a power cylinder 16 and associated piston rod 17. The inner end of the power cylinder has a universal-like joint connection 18 With the side sill 2 near the cross member 5 while the outer end of the piston rod has a similar joint conmainspreader wing. Said power cylinder is nection 19 with the inner orrear side of the adapted: for operation by means of fluid under pressure and therefore .thereis connectcd'to each end thereof,,conduits 20 and 21 leading from a source of fluid under pressure such as an air tank 22 located on the from the car body into thedesired.operative.w position. When such fluid is admi ted to the and out of the various locking devices;

car. A suitablevalve 23 controls the admission and exhaust to said cylinder ends. Thus when such fluid is admitted to the inner end ofthe cylinder,the piston rod is projected outwardly and'this swings the wing away outer end of the cylinder, said rod is retracted into the cylinder and the wing is swung inwardly toward the car. In this movement of the wing, the. cylinder 16 swings into a position substantially parallel with and above the side sill.

Associated with the wing for holding it into the desired position into which it has been swung by the power cylinder 16 and rod 17, there is provided a plurality ofbraces 24,

25 and 26 respectively. The braces 24, and

25 are arranged between the car body and wing'proper while the brace 26 is arranged between the car body and the extension or bank shaper wing. All braces are of a similar structure in that each. includes inner and outer telescopic braceparts 27 and 28 respectively and in each instance there is mounted on the outerend of the inner telescopicmember, apower actuated locking device 29 adapted for engagement with a toothed bar 30 on the associated brace mem- .ber 28.

Each member 27 of the braces 24 and 25 is operatively connected by a two-way or universal-like joint 31 with the car body, while theouter end of each member 28 of all of said braces is operatively connected by a somewhat similar joint 31 with'the'rear orinner 45 surface of the wing 13 and its extension 15 as best shown inFig. '1. This joint 31 also has a pivotal movement with respect to the member 28 and therefore provides'a three way movement insteadof a two-way movement as provided by the joint 31. Each locking device 29 is of the, pressure fluid kind and therefore each has a conduit 32 connected thereto. All of the conduits which are flexible are'connected to a'header 33 leading from the tank 22 and in said header is a valve 34 for controlling the passage of such fluid into The inner end of the member 27 of the brace 26 is connected to the car in a manner different from the connection of the like member of the braces 24 and 25 with said car. On

the outside of the sill member. 2, near thecross member 7, is attached a plate'35 having top and bottom vertically spaced ears 3 636 arranged towardthe rear end thereof.

Near the front end of said plate is provided a pair of vertically spaced'ears 37 spaced a vertical distance apart less than that of the ears 36-and said ears 37 have registering openings 38 therein. On the top of this plate 35v is a horizontal flange 39 upon which is engaged'an upright power cylinder 40 includ- "apiston actuated rod or locking pin 41 adapted to be entered through and withdrawn from the openingsi38 intheears 37.

A link 42 is provided at one end with top and bottom pairs of cars 43 to receive the cars 36 of-the plate 35 and a pin 44 is inserted through all of said earswhereby the link is capableofa swinging movement from'a position substantially parallel with the car body into a position at substantially a right angle ear 49'having'an opening 50' therein. Said ear is so disposed on the link that when said link is in its extended position, as shown in full lines in Fig.1, it will enter between the ears 37 of the plate 35, so that its opening 50 w7ill register with the, openings 38in said ears In the operation of the wing brace arrangement shown, letit be assumed that the wing 13 and its extension 15 have been swung in toward the side of the car and are substantially parallel therewith. This provides sufficient clearance for passing trains on adj acent tracks and is the position the wing occupies when thespreader car 'isin transit.

Under such condition, the various braces are allin .their contracted condition as is the cylinder 16 and its rod 17 and all extend substantially parallel with and along-side the car body, the link 42 occupying a folded-in position, also substantially 1 parallel with the car body as shown in dotted lines in Fig 1.

To swing the wing into its operative position,

the valve 23 is actuated to admit fluid under pressure into therear end of the cylinder 16 to project the rod 17 thereof outwardly and this, will swing thewing 13 and'its extension about the pin 12 away from the side of the car into its fullest extended angular position as shownin Fig. "1. In this'swinging movement of the wings, thelocking means 29 of each brace is rendered inoperative so that the part 28 ofeach brace is withdrawn from the part 27 thereof. In thismo'vement of the braces, thebra-ce 26 will pull the link 42 around into the fullline extended position shown in Fig.1, at which time'the car means 49 of the link swing into a position between the ears 37 of the plate -wherein the openings 38 and insaid ears register. Thereafter the pin or rod 441 of the cylinder 40 is actuated to enter the registering openings to lock the link in this position. It is pointed out that when the brace 26 is in this position, the various pivot connect-ions associated therewith are all, in substantially the same plane so that the pressure transmitted to the brace from the extension wing is better resisted without a tendency to buckle either the brace or link. That end of the link to which the brace member 27 is connected is offset laterally as shown to accommodate the rear end of the brace member 27 when the parts are in the car.

By reason of the use of the link described, we are enabled to obtain a brace arrangement that is of an effective length greater than the combined length of the two members constituting the brace proper. In this manner, a greater angularity of the wing in its operative position is obtained without unduly increasing the combined length of the wing and its extension. Thus awider spread is had with the same size wing than it has heretotore been possible. It is apparent that the operative range of the spreader has been increased without making the wing and its extension so long as to project beyond the rear end of the car in transport.

While in describing the invention, we have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the various parts thereof, the same is to be considered merely as illustrative, so that we do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention 1. A spreader embodying therein a car member and a. wing member pivoted at one end thereto for a swinging movement into and away from its angular operating position with respect to the ear member, a brace comprising a plurality of parts disposed between said car and wing member's for holding the wing member in its operative position and means between one end of said brace and one of said members for increasing the efiective length of the brace beyond that of the combined length of the parts comprising said brace.

2. A spreader embodying therein a car member and a wing member pivoted at one end thereto for swinging movement into and away from its angular operating position with respect to the car member, a brace comprising a plurality of parts disposed between said car and wing members for holdingthe Wing member in its operative position and means between one end of the brace and the ear member for increasing the eliective length of the brace beyond that'of the combined the position along-side length of the parts constituting said brace. 3. A spreader embodying therein-a car member and a wing memberpivoted at one end thereto for a swinging movement into and away-from its angular operative-posi-[ Q tionwith respect to the car member, a brace disposed between said car and wing members for holding the wing in its operative position, said brace comprising a'plurality of telescopic parts and means between one of said members one end of one of said telescopic parts for increasing the efiective length of the brace beyond that of the combined length of the telescopic parts ofthe brace.

5. A spreader embodying therein a ear member and a wing member pivoted at one end thereto for a swingingmovement into an d away from its angular operating position with respect tothe car member, a'brace comprising a plurality of parts disposed between said car and wing members for holding the wing member in its operative position and means pivoted to one of said members and to one, end of the brace for increasing the effective length of the brace beyond that of the combined length of the parts constituting the brace.

, 6. A spreader member embodying therein a car member and a wing member pivoted at one end thereto for a swingingmovement into and away from its angular operating position with respect to the car member, a brace comprising a plurality of parts disposed between said car and wing member for holding the wing member in its operative position and means pivoted at one endto' the ear member and pivoted at its other end to one end of the brace for increasing its effective length beyond that of the combined length of the parts constituting the brace.

7. A spreader member embodying therein a car member and a wing member pivoted thereto for a swinging movement into and away from its angular operating position, a brace comprising a plurality of parts disposed between said car and wing member for holding the wing member in its operative position and means pivoted at one end to one of said members and pivoted at its other end of said brace parts, said means normally extending substantially parallel with one of said members when the wing member is disposed alongside movement of the'fwing memberaway fromf i SPA spreader member embodying therein acar member and a wing member pivoted thereto for a swinging movement intoand 'Iiii away from its angular operating position, a

brace comprising a plurality of parts dis, posed between sald'car and wing members for holding the wing member in its operative position and means pivoted atfone end to the ear member and pivoted at its otherend to one end of the brace, said means normally extending substantially parallel with the ear member when the wing member is disposed alongside thereof, said means in the swinging movement of the wing member away from the car member swinging into a position substantially parallel with the brace and acting as an extension for increasing the effective length of the brace beyond that of'the combined length of the parts constituting the brace. r L 1 a 9. In combination with a car member and a wing member pivoted thereto for a swing ing movement, a brace member including telescopic parts, one of said parts being pivoted atone end to one of said. members and pivoted at'its other end to one .end of a link in turn pivoted at its other end to said other member for a swinging movement toward- 1 the ear.

member for a swinging movement toward and away from the car and meansfor locking the link in a position extending away from 10. In combination with a car member'a-nd a wingvmember pivoted thereto fora swinging movement, a brace comprising a plurality of telescopic parts, means pivotally connecting one endof said brace to the wing member,a link pivoted at one end tothe car and away'from'the car,means pivotally connecting the otherend of'saidfbrace andflink together and means for locking the link in a position extending away from the car.

, 11. In combination with a ear member and awlng member pivoted thereto for a swinging movement, a brace comprising a plurality of telescopic parts, means pivotally connecting one end of said brace to thewing member, a link pivotedat oneend'to the carmember and .meansprov1d1ng a oint with more than one axis for pivotally connecting the other end of said brace and link together.

12. In combination with a car member and a wing member pivoted thereto for a swinging movementinto andout ofoperative position, means operating uponthe wing for imparting aswinging movement thereto, a brace between said car and wing and, includ ing telescopic parts, one of said brace parts being pivotally connected at one end to one (of, said members and means connecting the other end of said brace with said other meme.

"ber andoperating in; the swinging movement ,tive length.

13. In combination witha ear member and awing member pivoted thereto for aswing: ing movementinto and out of. operative po sition,means operating upon the wing for imparting a swingingmovement thereto, a brace between said car and wing and including telescopic parts, one of said brace parts beingpivotally connected atone endto the wing member and means pivotally connected to thelother end of the brace and to the ear member respectively and operating on the swinging movement of vthe wing away from thecar body asanextension for to increaseits effective length, ,r

14. Ir'i'combi1iatioi1 with 'a ear member and a wing member pivotedfthereto for a swinging movement, a brace member pivotally the. brace connected at one end toone oi said members, a link, means pivotally connectlng'the other end oisaid brace-memberto one end of said link, means pivotally connecting the other end or said link to the other ofsaid members and -acting as oneeXtension for the brace when the wing has been swunginto a posi-.

tion away from the cart and means for looking said link to its associated member against movement when acting as an: extension of the brace. V f

15. In combination with a ear member and a wingmemberpivoted thereto for a swinging movementya rbrace member connected at one end to'the wing. a link. means pivotally connecting one end'ofthe link to the other end of the brace, means pivotally connecting the other end of the link to the car member and acting as an extension for the brace when the wing has been swung int-oa posi-.

tion away from the car and means for locking said link to the ear member against movement when acting as an extension of the brace.

16. In a railroad spreader, a car, a wing pivoted thereto, a brace, means for pivotally connecting one end of the brace with the wing, a plate on the car, a link pivoted at one end tosaid plate and pivoted'at its other end to the other end ofthe'brace and which link acts as an extension for the brace when the w1ng has been swung away from the car and means for connecting the plate and link to hold the link against movement when act,-

ing as an extension for brace. I v 17. In a rallroad spreader, a car, awing pivoted thereto, a brace, meansfor plvotally .connecting' 'onel end of the brace with the wingga plate on thefca'r, a link pivoted atone end to said plate and pivoted at its other end to the other end of the brace and which link actsas an extension for the, brace when the hasbeen swung away from the car,

a projection on said plate, an ear on said link adapted to engage the proiection on the plate when said link acts as an extension for the brace and means for connecting said projection and ear together for locking the link in said position forming an extension for the brace.

18. In combination with a railroad spreader embodying therein a car member, a wing member pivoted thereto for a swinging movement away from and toward the car, means for imparting such movement to said wing member, a pluralitv of extensible braces between the wing and car members for holding the wing member in a position away from the ear member and a link between one of said braces and one of said members and operating as an extension for said brace when said wing is in its position away from said car.

19. In combination with a railroad spreader embodying therein a ear member, a wing member pivoted thereto for a swinging movement away from and toward the car, means for imparting such movement to said wing member, a plurality of extensible braces between the wing and car members for holding the wing member in a position away from the car member and a link pivotally connected at one end to one of said members and at its other end to said car member and operating as the Wing swings into its position away from the car, to provide an extension for said brace.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 1st day of April, 1931.

JAMES C. FORBES. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of April, 1931.

V ALBERT W. BANTON. 

